This incredible achievement was very well deserved according to Professor Lionel Tarassenko of the University of Oxford, who nominated Paul Newman. Within his application, Tarassenko asserted that Newman “has consistently and relentlessly pushed the boundaries of autonomous vehicle technology”.

Not only has Newman created fundamental robotics technology that is now used worldwide, but he has been a pioneer in commercialising this technology and shaping the regulatory landscape it needs to operate effectively. Newman serves on the UK’s Department for Transport Science Advisory Council and has advised many different industry partners on the technical requirements for autonomy deployment at Oxbotica.

The Oxbotica team were elated to receive this brilliant news and are immensely proud and inspired. Under Paul’s guidance as CTO, Oxbotica’s growing team have been able to secure many rewarding and impactful industry partnerships to drive the implementation of autonomy worldwide.

Paul Newman said, “I’m immensely honoured by this award. This is the result of a fantastic journey with amazing people from around the world – Sydney, MIT, Oxford and of course Oxbotica. Without all of them, none of this would be possible. To be recognised for doing something I so adore, and which I believe matters so much, makes this all the more precious. The way in which people and goods are moved is about to change beyond recognition. To be able to make a contribution to that global revolution here in the UK makes me proud, happy and thankful to all my colleagues, employers, funders and partners. I’m looking forward to pushing the limits of our technology even further, continuing to build on our partnerships with industry and government, and working with my incredible team at Oxbotica to shape the future of autonomy software.”

For the past five years, I’ve had the best job in the world. Being CEO at Oxbotica has been my dream job, as we’ve built the company from a start-up through to one of the world’s leading autonomous driving software companies.

Autonomy is set to change the world we live in, disrupting every conceivable business model and industry. Autonomy has the potential to enhance our safety, reduce carbon emissions and enrich our quality of life.